MPR recommends anticorruption commission

MPR recommends anticorruption commission

M. Taufiqurrahman and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) rejected on Wednesday a
proposal that would recommend the government to establish an
independent committee to oversee business activities of the
family of a president.

A lawmaker denied, however, allegations that the Assembly paid
a little to the fight against corruption as it would suggest the
government to immediately set up an independent anticorruption
commission as mandated by the law.

The recommendation will be among a number of MPR inputs to be
offered to the President at the end of its annual session on
Thursday.

"This anticorruption commission must be set up and come into
force. It will not only concentrate on the businesses involving
the family of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, but that of all
state officials," chairman of Commision C deliberating the
Assembly's internal ruling and recommendations to state
institutions, Barlianta Harahap, said on Wednesday.

The Reform faction, which is dominated by members of Assembly
speaker Amien Rais' National Mandate Party (PAN) has demanded
that the MPR ask the President form an independent committee to
supervise the business of first family. A number of
nongovernmental organizations have also urged the highest
lawmaking body to declare a war against corruption, collusion and
nepotism.

Deputy chairman of the Reform faction Fuad Bawazier said the
committee could probe into alleged violations of fair business
committed by the President's family as many said were rampant in
the past.

The government has come under criticism for allegedly stalling
the process to establish the anticorruption commision. The Law
No. 30/2002 on the anticorruption commission says the new body
must have started working by Dec. 27, 2003. The government has so
far been unable to form the team to select the commission members
since the law was passed last November.

Barlianta also revealed that the MPR would not mention at all
in the recommendation specific cases of alleged irregularities,
including the purchase of Sukhoi war planes, privatization of
state-owned telecommunication firm Indosat and the reopening of
pulp mill PT Indorayon in North Sumatra.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) insisted on demanding revocation of MPR decree No.
33/1967 that dismissed founding president Sukarno, the father of
Megawati. The faction may lose its case should MPR be forced to a
vote as other factions rejected the demand.

Legislator Permadi of PDI Perjuangan said that his faction
would bring the unsolved issue to a plenary session of the
Assembly on Thursday.

"It is true that the people fully respect Sukarno, but legally
speaking Sukarno is confined," Permadi told The Jakarta Post on
Wednesday.

Permadi, who declared himself Sukarno's mouthpiece, said the
decree discharging Sukarno must be repealed in a show of the
goodwill to rehabilitate the name of the former president.

If the Assembly rejects the proposal, Permadi said his faction
would demand the Assembly to recommend the President restore
Sukarno's reputation.

After Wednesday session, Commision A on the establishment of a
constitutional commision and Commission B on the review of 139
obsolete decrees enacted by the MPR between 1966 and 2002 managed
to complete their jobs and submitted their reports to the MPR.

The Commission C asked for more time to submit their report.
The commission's deputy chairman GBPH Joyokusumo told the plenary
session the commision needed on more night for lobbying.